The EC is not making money from 'high' filing fees

The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted assertions that it was trying to raise money for its activities using exorbitant filing fees from political parties contesting the 2020 elections.

The EC also said the notion that it was through the filing fees trying to prevent smaller political parties from contesting in the elections, was false.

Rather, the commission said it was acting in compliance with the law in protecting the sanctity and value of the esteemed public office.

In regards to the argument about raising funds, the EC said the budget for the current electoral process had been ready. Besides, the country's electoral laws debarred the electoral body from using proceeds from the filing fee for its business.

The Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoo in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the commission had only acted in compliance with the electoral laws, with the intention to protect the sanctity of the electoral process.

"The EC cannot and does not use the filing fees of candidates for anything; so if some people are saying that the commission is using it as a means to raise funds for its activities, it is not true because the money is not for us; it belongs to the state and are paid into the Consolidated Fund," he stressed.

READ ALSO:
Akufo-Addo fights those who fight Corruption – Mahama

On Monday, September 14, this year, the EC opened online nominations for presidential and parliamentary aspirants for the December 7, 2020 elections.

The commission fixed the filing fee for presidential aspirants at GH¢100,000 and that for parliamentary aspirants at GH¢10,000.

However, some political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs) and individuals have raised concerns about the filing fees, describing it as exorbitant.

Dr Quaicoo  however said the GH¢100,000 charged as filing fee for presidential candidates was reasonable, since it was only a deposit and would be refunded to candidates who polled 25 per cent of valid votes cast in the presidential election.

He explained that the EC was acting on Regulations 8(1)(b) of Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 127 to ensure that all aspirants for presidential and parliamentary elections paid approved filing fees as a means of placing value on those offices they sought to occupy.

Per regulations 8 (1b) of C.I 127, "a candidate for presidential and parliamentary elections shall, at the time of nomination of the candidate, deposit or cause to be deposited an amount of money determined by the EC”.

Dr Quaicoo added that setting of filing fees by the EC, and in the current situation, the GH¢100,000 for presidential candidates, was to put a benchmark, "so that it does not happen that anybody at all can just rise up and say I want to be a candidate”.